A website that I like to read on a semi-regular basis is Snopes.com, where the author investigates the veracity of Internet rumors. Many of these rumors involve fraudulent job offers, which desperate job seekers will shell out money for, only to be scammed.
Craigslist and other classifieds sites abound with deals that are scammy. A common ruse is a potential roommate sends you the first month’s check in the mail, except that it’s written for over the designated amount. ”Sorry,” she says. “Can you just keep a few hundred for your efforts and then send the remainder back to me?” So you dutifully go down to the bank, send her the money, and await her arrival only to realize that her original (probably foreign) check or money order never cleared.
The internet is full of “opportunities” that can be yours if you only send in your payment of 59.95 as a “processing fee”.
I write about not spending money. Obviously there are times when spending money is neccessary; that’s why we earn it. But it occurred to me that using “not spending money” as a guide when dealing with Internet deals can be a handy tool to sniff out or avoid scams. Everybody wants your money. Chances are, if people are asking for it and not giving anything in return (yet) or seemingly will give too much in return, you might want to think twice.
- Are they asking for money for something you can get or do for free elsewhere?
- Are they asking for money for a phenomenal sum or something of phenomenal value that you’ll get later?
- Are they asking for money for something that you can’t see, can’t verify by references, and can’t ask for more information about without paying them money?
- Are they offering you some kind of job arrangement but asking for money first?
- Are they asking for money for something that under normal circumstances they would be paying YOU? (i.e. job offers, roommate arrangements, large inheritances from relatives you’ve never heard of)
Interesting questions. Experienced netizens are familiar with all of these, yet the scams abound. So for all you not-spending-money-ers, you can use your frugality as one more tool in your belt to build a good defense against scammers.
A website that I like to read on a semi-regular basis is Snopes.com, where the author investigates the veracity of Internet rumors. Many of these rumors involve fraudulent job offers, which desperate job seekers will shell out money for, only to be scammed.
Craigslist and other classifieds sites abound with deals that are scammy. A common ruse is a potential roommate sends you the first month’s check in the mail, except that it’s written for over the designated amount. ”Sorry,” she says. “Can you just keep a few hundred for your efforts and then send the remainder back to me?” So you dutifully go down to the bank, send her the money, and await her arrival only to realize that her original (probably foreign) check or money order never cleared.
The internet is full of “opportunities” that can be yours if you only send in your payment of 59.95 as a “processing fee”.
I write about not spending money. Obviously there are times when spending money is neccessary; that’s why we earn it. But it occurred to me that using “not spending money” as a guide when dealing with Internet deals can be a handy tool to sniff out or avoid scams. Everybody wants your money. Chances are, if people are asking for it and not giving anything in return (yet) or seemingly will give too much in return, you might want to think twice.
- Are they asking for money for something you can get or do for free elsewhere?
- Are they asking for money for a phenomenal sum or something of phenomenal value that you’ll get later?
- Are they asking for money for something that you can’t see, can’t verify by references, and can’t ask for more information about without paying them money?
- Are they offering you some kind of job arrangement but asking for money first?
- Are they asking for money for something that under normal circumstances they would be paying YOU? (i.e. job offers, roommate arrangements, large inheritances from relatives you’ve never heard of)
Interesting questions. Experienced netizens are familiar with all of these, yet the scams abound. So for all you not-spending-money-ers, you can use your frugality as one more tool in your belt to build a good defense against scammers.
